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Have you heard of a jackalope? A portmanteau of jackrabbit and antelope, this mythical animal from North American folklore is described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns. Combining a legendary existence with high level athletic performance, the Jackalope is the perfect spirit animal for the events powered by Tribu, a Canadian event organiser specialising in action sports and adrenaline, all without taking itself too seriously! And one of these festivals is taking place in Montréal.

JACKALOPE Montréal is a three-day festival, renowned for its unique atmosphere and for the quality of the athletes competing in high-adrenaline action sports such as skateboarding and bouldering. It’s the ultimate gathering of Canada’s action sports communities, bringing together the best athletes and professionals in the featured sports as well as enthusiasts and curious spectators. This exciting festival features world-class competitions and demonstrations by world-renowned skateboarders and climbers.

Urban sports events are natural candidates for the festivalisation of sports events. Combining passion, sport performance, spectacular shows, a festive atmosphere and various activities, urban sports also encounter challenges linked to the search for balance between the freedom inherent in their ecosystem and the need for structuring for budgetary support.

a passion-based festival

Dedicated to bouldering and skateboarding, JACKALOPE Montréal is for those who are passionate about these action sports and ultimate experiences. The three-day event combines high-level competitions featuring big names in the disciplines along with contests open to amateurs! Visitors are invited to bring their own skateboards and get a shot of adrenaline in the bowl! JACKALOPE celebrates street culture as well as the spirit of urban culture in the heart of the city. Organisers say, “Come and try, there is nothing to lose…”. Vert (for vertical) skateboarding, street skateboarding, and speed bouldering offer an amazing and thrilling spectacle to around 25,000 visitors who are offered a dose of passion with passionate people.

a place for socialising

You don’t necessarily need to be a fan or an expert in urban and action sports to enjoy the festival. As well as the sporting side of things, JACKALOPE has plenty to offer, from shopping in pop-up shops and sampling the food trucks to relaxing in the beer garden and enjoying live music with friends and family during concerts, DJ sets and after-parties. Spaces are dedicated to sports introductions for children. Some social causes are also presented, even if not necessarily linked to the organisers, such as the promotion of physical activity or the presentation of various projects on what these sports can bring to the community. In addition to the spectacular shows, visitors also enjoy the multiplicity of activities provided and various experience spaces, from the Par- Cool to the chill corner, from cross bike to breakdancing demonstrations. Each sport has its own stage set within a different musical universe.

The organisers realised that people need places and moments for socialising, and even dating in a chill atmosphere. And this need appeared to be even stronger after the covid period which limited social interactions and meetings “in real life”. The youth is particularly responsive to urban sports events, and the clientele of JACKALOPE is younger than the population’s average. In 2023, 16-34 represented 62% of the participants at the festival. The average age is 10 years younger than the average age of Montréal’s population. A majority of the participants were women (53% vs 47%).

an asset for the city

In 2012, the festival was located on the Olympic Park Esplanade, a fairly eccentric space. At the time, it was a space in need of revitalisation. The entrance to the Olympic Park resembles a skate ramp, an invitation to launch created for the 1976 Montréal Olympic Games, and since recognised as the first natural skate ramp in the world! In 2024, and for the next couple of years, the festival is set in the heart of the Old Port of Montréal, due to repair work on the roof of the Olympic stadium. This is another emblematic place in the city which is also host to the Cirque du Soleil. The City of Montréal has always been favorable to the project, although neither the Olympic Park nor the Old Port are, strictly speaking, on the land of the City of Montreal. The Olympic Park is the property of the Province of Quebec, while the Old Port is a division of the Canada Lands Company.

Around 70% of the participants come from the Island of Montréal, and the rest from the Province of Québec and elsewhere in Canada. As Micah Deforges explains, such urban events allow the local population to take (re)ownership in certain areas of their own city. This was very much the case with the Olympic Park which was, in his words, a “no man’s land”. And Tribu was proud to be part of the vision and project to revitalise the Esplanade with year-round activities.

a challenging and challenged model

Freedom is pricey. And freedom has a double meaning: financial freedom and institutional freedom.

Urban sports are, originally, and by definition, less institutionalised than sports structured as federations, and with consequently less constraints but also less budgetary support. With the development of urban sports, some structuring has occurred over the last few years. Several of these action and urban sports have now joined major sports federations and some have become Olympic disciplines. The challenge for festivals such as JACKALOPE is to find the balance between necessary funding – which flows more easily to institutionalised sports – and the freedom and “cool” attitudes inherent to urban sports. Remaining unfederated can allow these sports to avoid the administrative and rigid side of sports competitions.

Starting with a free entrance policy from 2012 to 2016, JACKALOPE then experienced the ticketing model for a few years. The last ticketed edition was in 2022. It was decided to go back to a free-access festival, in order to improve accessibility and attractiveness and strengthen its wide-open and democratic dimension. Free access brings better crowds and the festival dimension – beyond sport itself – is the essence of such gatherings. As a major portion of the crowd is “uninitiated”, free entrance is a good option for attracting a new audience.

If “a limited budget is the ticket to freedom” according to the founder of Tribu, public support remains necessary and principally comes from the City of Montréal and the Province of Québec. In addition, sponsors and exhibitors are part of the business. The “pay to play” concept also attracts revenue from registration fees from amateurs taking part in competitions or to participate in specific “experiences”. Together, these elements lead not only to great sport shows, but also many activities that transform JACKALOPE from a sport event into a festival.

The city and the festival benefit from each other. The festival is profitable to the City of Montréal, in terms of entertainment, activities and tourism, marketing and branding benefits, while the festival gets some support from the City in terms of limited subsidies and advertising through Montréal Tourism. Nevertheless, according to the organisers, sports festivals in general are suffering from a lack of subsidies and are facing hard times. With a business model based on no ticketing and an event that is climate dependent, risks remain high.

According to Montréal Tourism in 2023, there are 11 reasons why JACKALOPE made Montréal famous: “It’s reinventing what a sport event can be ; it’s home grown; it’s high paced and adrenaline-packed; it unites a whole scene; it draws the crowds with amazing food; it mixes community and commerce; it’s set in an Olympic location (and another great location in 2024, editor’s note); it invites active participation; it’s accessible to all; it’s also online; it’s even accessible to dogs.”

JACKALOPE is a great example of how the combination of sport and festival can generate a unique sport and beyond sport experience!